When your calling meets your family

When Allison and Sean Perry realized their calling — as is often God’s way — they were not expecting it. It was the perfect fit for their family and, yet, it changed everything.

The Perrys were living the American dream: Sean, a principal of an elementary school and Allison, a teacher in The Colony, Texas. They had two biological children, Gracie and Caleb, and their lives were moving along normally when suddenly their calling to help children in need came knocking at the door.

“After years of teaching elementary students and being involved in youth ministry at our church, I am very much aware of students needs and families needs,” Allison said. “At the time, we were both doing a separate study on the book of James, and God was laying it on my husband's and my heart at the same time.”

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world —James 1:27.

“When we read that verse for the first time, God told me to do that. God said, ‘No, I mean literally you’re going to do exactly what it says,’” Allison said.

Allison felt led to foster while Sean felt called to adopt. They ultimately decided to start with fostering and were willing to adopt if that’s where the Lord led their journey.

“I want people to know that if you are thinking about foster care, it is okay to feel that you would have a hard time letting children go," Sean said. "In fact, if you feel that way, you are exactly the kind of person God can use in foster care because you love with your whole heart.”

Their foster care and adoption journey began a year and a half ago when sisters Macy* and Elizabeth* entered their lives in the middle of the night.

“We got two little girls in the middle of the night and they never left,” Allison said.

At first, Macy, 9, and Elizabeth, 8, were shy and quiet. Now, their charming personalities and joy radiates through them.

For the Perry family, their happiest moment was seeing Macy and Elizabeth comfortable enough to express the joy in their hearts.

“Playing, dancing and singing around the house, knowing their life was not like that before now [makes me the happiest],” Sean said.

From day one, the Perrys made Macy and Elizabeth feel like a part of their family, encouraging them and supporting their interests and talents.

Despite the progress Macy and Elizabeth have made, sometimes upsetting memories of their past come back to haunt them when they least expect it, but Allison always assures the girls they are now in a safe home.

Recently, Allison and Sean have begun the adoption process with Macy and Elizabeth. They are hoping by Christmas, Macy's and Elizabeth's adoption will be finalized. It's a day they are all looking forward to.

“They are both so precious and light up our home with their loud laughs and bright smiles," Gracie and Caleb said. "We're so thankful God brought them to us. Both girls are so happy and full of life, teaching us that one can overcome difficulty with joy and inspiring us to love others more generously.”

Last year, there were a reported 40,506 cases of confirmed child neglect and/or abuse in the state of Texas alone, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

If you have contemplated foster care or adoption, like the Perrys, it may be your calling, knocking at the door of your heart. Take the next step and contact Buckner Foster Care and Adoption. Not only will you help bring positive change to a child’s life, but your heart will grow in the process.

“It’s like God had gone before us," Allison said. “It is completely about trusting God has a plan for them, letting go and trusting that the Lord has it.”